Ethiopia’s Prime Minister,
Hailemariam Desalegn, has submitted his resignation as both premier and the
chairman of the ruling coalition.

Hailemariam Desalegn said his
resignation was “vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to
sustainable peace and democracy”.

The Prime Minister had been
leading the country since 2012.

Hailemariam in a televised
address to the nation said, “Unrest and a political crisis have led to the loss
of lives and displacement of many,” Hailemariam said in a televised address to
the nation.

“… I see my resignation as vital
in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and
democracy,” he said.

Hailemaria, however, said he
would stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity until the ruling
Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the country’s
parliament accepted his resignation and named a new premier.